Ryan O'Neal has already won his battle against leukemia, and now, it appears he'll have to envoke that strength again, as he's announced that he now has prostate cancer.

He says in a statement:

"Recently I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. Although I was shocked and stunned by the news, I feel fortunate that it was detected early and according to my extraordinary team of doctors the prognosis is positive for a full recovery. I am deeply grateful for the support of my friends and family during this time, and I urge everyone to get regular check-ups, as early detection is the best defense against this horrible disease that has afflicted so many."

So sad - especially as he only lost Farrah three years ago to anal cancer.

However, we're at least happy to hear that he's using this as a platform to promote awareness and early detection for the disease.

"My metabolism actually changed like crazy this year. I have Hashimoto's disease. It's a thyroid disease, and it's now been two years since taking the medication for it, so for the VS show I didn't want to lose any more weight, I just want to have muscles in the right place, and if my butt can get a little perkier, then that's good."